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San Pietro Martire al Casale della Solfarata
'San Pietro Martire al Casale della Solfarata '''is a 17th century rural chapel at a farmstead called ''Casale dells Sofatara. ''The postal address is Via della Solfatara 51, the locality is called Solfarata and the zone is Castel di Leva. Name The dedication is to St Peter Martyr. The name of the locality is sometimes rendered as ''Solfatara. The Diocese has an odd mistake on its website, listing the chapel as dedicated to St Peter Chanel. This is the wrong martyred Peter. Location The farmstead is located on the north side of the Via della Solfarata, which road forms the boundary between the city of Rome and the township of Pomezia. The town centre of the latter is on the Via Pontina, but the chapel is on the road to the eponymous train station which is some distance away to the north-east. The churches in the town itself are in the diocese of Albano, and the road is also the boundary between that diocese and the Diocese of Rome. This seems to be the southernmost place of worship in the city and diocese of Rome. History The country estate has its first reference under its present name in 1227, when as ''Castrum Solpheratae ''it was part of the portfolio of the Chapter of San Giovanni in Laterano. However, for most of its existence since then it has been under private ownership. The present edifice was erected in 1673, and Pope Clement X granted an indulgence to pilgrim visitors. In the marble tablet over the entrance the chapel is referred to as a "church", but never seems to have functioned as one. For some time the chapel was under the jurisdiction of the church of ''San Benedetto ''at Pomezia, despite not being in that town or in the diocese of Albano. When the local parish of San Romualdo Abate a Monte Migliore was formed by the Diocese of Rome, the responsibility was transferred. There is no liturgical activity advertised, and the locality has a very low resident population (a large commercial development has sprung up on the other side of the road, though). Appearance This is a rectangular stand-alone edifice in what looks like ''tufo ''stone, rendered in white with a pitched and tiled roof. A small campanile or bell-cote, gabled and with a round-headed aperture for a single bell, is perched on the left hand side of the actual church gable. The frontage has a slightly narrower and slightly lower entrance bay, with its own roof. This has an enormous undecorated arched portal occupying most of its frontage, opening into a loggia. The church frontage within has a single door and three windows with stone frames, two square one flanking the door and a larger almost square one above. Between the door and the larger window is a marble tablet recording the offer of an indulgence granted by Pope Clement X. Above this, and intruding on the window, is his relief coat-of-arms. Apparently, there is a depiction of ''The Crucifixion ''on one side of the altar inside, and one of St Peter Martyr on the other. External links Info.roma web-pageCategory:Catholic churches Category:Public chapels Category:Outside the walls - South-East Category:20th century Category:Dedications to St Peter Martyr